This is a short update in relation to the Public Service Stability Agreement and the INMO Recruitment and Retention Agreement.

Public Service Stability Agreement

As you are undoubtedly aware INMO members voted by 75% to accept the Public Service Pay Agreement and a meeting of the Irish Congress of Trade Union’s Public Services Committee took place on Monday, 18th September 2017. At that meeting the aggregate vote, of all public service unions, was in favour of the agreement and the Government were therefore notified that the public service trade unions had accepted the agreement.

The INMO sought immediate action, and progress, in relation to the Public Service Pay Commission’s (PSPC) examination of the recruitment and retention difficulties in the health service, particularly for our members nurses/midwives.

I now wish to confirm that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have confirmed that, having been notified of the acceptance of the Agreement, they will now immediately draft Terms of Reference, which will issue to the PSPC and, as per commitments given to the INMO, matters relating to nursing/midwifery will be the first issues examined and reported upon.

The predicted date for commencement of the process is Tuesday, 3rd October 2017, and the INMO will, as previously advised, engage fully with the process in order to ensure the best possible outcome for our members in the area of pay and hours, particularly when compared to other graduate professions in the health service.

INMO Recruitment/Retention Agreement (February 2017)

As you are aware, the agreement requires that the HSE increase their permanent, whole-time equivalent nursing and midwifery workforce, by an additional 1,224 staff by December 2017. In addition the Minister for Health, Mr Simon Harris TD, has specifically requested that the HSE report on progress, in recruitment, at the end of June, September and December 2017.

The first report was lodged by the end of June 2017. This report showed that 221 additional nurses and midwives were recorded as directly hired at that point. That figured represents 18% of the whole-time equivalent that was required.

The second quarterly report is now due. The INMO met with the HSE on Wednesday, 20th September 2017, to assess progress.

While this report is not finalised, recruitment has not improved to any great extent and the indications are that the end of September report, which will issue to the Minister, will show that since December 2016 an additional 361 whole-time equivalents have been recruited and of those 173 were Staff Nurses. This represents 29% of the overall total requirement.

When this quarterly report is finalised the INMO will place it on our website (www.inmo.ie) for your attention. A further meeting is due to take place next Tuesday, 26th September 2017, regarding progress in relation to the Recruitment and Retention Agreement and an update will issue following this meeting.

Thank you for your attention to this note and, as always, we request that you keep up to date by accessing our website, Twitter and Facebook page.